Charter of the City of Pensacola

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The Charter of the City of Pensacola is the document which establishes the City of Pensacola and provides for the government thereof. The current charter was adopted in 1931.

No fewer than three different charter documents have been used before, and there have been unsuccessful efforts at several points in Pensacola's history to propose the adoption of alternate charters.

History of charter documents[edit]

1895 charter[edit]

The 1895 charter abolished the Provisional Municipality of Pensacola and organized the City of Pensacola under a mayor-council government. This form of government and charter remained in place until it was superceded by the 1913 charter, which provided for a city commission government.

1913 charter[edit]

1931 charter[edit]

The 1931 charter organized the City of Pensacola under a council-manager government.

2010 charter[edit]

The 2010 charter, approved in a November 2009 referendum, will reorganize the City government under a mayor–council government.

Proposed alternatives[edit]

1916 referendum[edit]

In 1913, the City of Pensacola adopted a new charter and transitioned to a city commission government. In 1915, the Florida Legislature appointed a "Charter Board" to study that charter and recommend any necessary revisions. The Charter Board recommended that the City return to the previous mayor-council government, and a referendum was held to decide the issue. The initiative failed by a large margin and the commission government was retained until 1931.

2009 referendum[edit]

In 2009, a mail-in referendum was conducted to consider the adoption of a new City charter, including a transition to a Mayor-council government. The proposed charter was adopted.